Proceedings Paper

Nanoproducts spherical spinel lithium manganese oxide (LiMnO) with about 20nm in diameter was synthesized by
explosive method. The growth of lithium manganate via detonation reaction was investigated with respect to the
presence of an energetic precursor, such as the metallic nitrate and the degree of confinement of the explosive charge.
The detonation products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Powder X-ray diffraction and transmission
electron microscopy were used to characterize the products. Lithium manganate with spherical morphology and more
uniform secondary particles, with smaller primary particles of diameters from 10 to 30 nm and a variety of morphologies
were found. Lithium manganate with a fine spherical morphology different from that of the normal spinel is formed after
detonation wave treatment due to the very high quenching rate. It might also provide a cheap large-scale synthesis
method. Explosive detonation is strongly nonequilibrium processes, generating a short duration of high pressure and high
temperature. Free metal atoms are first released with the decomposition of explosives, and then theses metal and oxygen
atoms are rearranged, coagulated and finally crystallized into lithium manganate during the expansion of detonation
process.